This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Inclement weather is a great inconvenience to a shopper. Rain, snow, and/or sleet saturate purchased goods contained in a shopping cart and also the shopper or consumer pushing the cart. Often times during inclement weather, such as rain, snow and/or sleet, the purchased items in the shopping cart are exposed to the environment such that the rain may fall directly on the items and the shopper. When the distance that the consumer travels from the retail store to the consumer's vehicle is substantial, it is often times the result that the goods in the shopping cart and the person pushing the shopping cart become wet and even saturated by the falling rain. Such goods, even if bagged, may be destroyed if contacted by a sufficient amount of rain. In addition, the rain or inclement weather deters the consumer from going to the merchant or retail venue, particularly if it is an outdoor venue, knowing that he or she may be exposed by the rain or inclement weather. This potentially prevents and/or reduces a merchant's revenue and sales due to inclement weather conditions.
As an additional nonlimiting example, mothers transporting children in addition to the goods in the shopping cart typically will attend to the safety and security of their children prior to unloading the goods from the shopping cart. While the mother is attending to the safety of her children, the goods and child in the shopping cart are exposed to rain for an extended time, which increases the likelihood that some goods may be saturated and/or ruined and the child becoming irritated and exposed to the elements, increasing their likelihood of becoming sick. Therefore, a need exists to address the aforementioned deficiencies and shortcomings described above.